Zion

She smiles.

She greets the King with a warm greeting, kindness the main theme of her conversation.

Those eyes glance towards me, the lavender hue so beautiful, so elegant. But this time they hold a certain emotion that scares me, an emotion of annoyance and disappointment mixed with anger. “And the famous Lady Sybil I’ve heard so much about,” Keva greets me, bowing her head as her locks fall over her shoulders, revealing those pointed ears.

As she looks up to meet my eyes, my palms begin to sweat and my heart skip a beat. She means trouble here. Her presence does not settle well in my stomach as my nerves tie it up in a knot. “To what do we owe this appearance? For the Senate to greet you?” Zion asks, taking my hand in his as memories flood my mind of what we just did. He gave no shits in the world either to me being on my period, meaning I should either be grossed out or he is a keeper who doesn’t care how bad my body may seem that day.

“Your majesty, the war efforts have not gone unnoticed by my kingdom’s elders,” Keva informs, causing me to raise an eyebrow. Last I heard the elves wanted no part in our war to come, saying that it was not meant to be. Elves and witches are the balancers of peace, they make sure that the humans do not uncover our existence without it being time. Made from stardust in the first age, the elves were meant to make sure the supernatural races would be protected until fate decided otherwise. “And the elders of my kingdom have come up with a deal.”

I raise an eyebrow. Since when do the elves change their minds like this? “I’m sorry, but what is your status in the elf community?” I ask, eyes falling upon me with that question. For sure some Alphas did not like my question. “Just out of curiosity.”

“I, Lady Sybil, am a seeker, one who studies the stars and interprets dreams to those my creator chooses. Right now, I come to you as a messenger of the news.” I nod, watching as Keva reaches out her hand, opening her palm as the golden flakes appear. They are beautiful as always.

Spiraling up to the ceiling, they expand on population, filling up the ceiling area, causing it to glow a golden hue. Simply beautiful. I’ve heard of the elf palaces, of the beauty so few out of the elf kingdom get to witness. “What is the deal?” I ask, taking the words from Zion’s mouth as Keva looks around to the Alphas.

Zion walks to his seat, motioning Keva to one that a footman is pulling up beside one Alpha from British Columbia. “We are offering to send one hundred of our best archers.” But for what? Even though it is such a small number, these elves know their tactics and how to kill. Hell, they live for so many years that their skills become flawless. Elves make the perfect hunters and killers. But everyone knows the price of elves loaning you their troops is high.

“For what in return?” Zion asks as I take my seat beside him and Alpha Nixon. “Are you seeking land, a pea-

“We seek, your majesty, a small little favor from the wolf kingdom when the time comes.”

“What is it?” Alpha Axel asks, the young Alpha’s pale blue eyes glancing at me shortly. Rumor says he recently found is mate.

Keva smiles, glancing around the massive table as the Alphas are silent, awaiting her answer just like me. “What we seek is a favor, an IOU situation where, when the times comes, we shall call upon the Wolf Kingdom for help, and you shall return the favor.”

It sounds reasonable at least. But it is so vague that many things are a stake. “What kind of contract will this deal be made of?” Zion asks.

“Blood.”

Blood means unbreakable. It consists of both parties’ leaders to drag a knife into their palm and let their blood drip into a goblet as a witch does a spell. Once the blood is in the goblet, the blood will go up in flames and the unbreakable bond created.

“May we talk more about this after the meal in private?” Zion asks Keva, gaining a simple nod and the food is brought forth.

The whole dinner is tense, barely putting a piece of food into my mouth as my nerves go crazy with Keva here. Something tells me she’s not here for a simple deal. Something tells me that she is here for me. But I could be wrong? Right? Elves are very trustworthy people and don’t kill unless in war or find someone guilty. I do not think she would be here to kill me, for she wants me to be safe.

As the dinner comes to an end and Zion dismisses the Alphas, he turns to me, those golden eyes serious. “I don’t know when I will be out of the meeting with this Seeker, but I’ll find you when I am done.”

Zion will not have me there. Am I disappointed or mad? A bit, just because I wanted to get more out of Keva’s deal, but I have no status here but future Queen. Hell, I should not even be in the Senate chambers without a crown upon my head. “I’ll see you sometime then,” I reply, saying goodbye as I leave with the crowd of Alphas. I don’t want to be without Zion, but I cannot be in this meeting.

Rounding the corner into the throne room, I’m caught off guard as Trent pops out of nowhere, shocking me right away. “We need to have a chat.”

“And why?” I ask, taking a step back as Trent reaches out for my arm. “What do we have to talk about?”

A smirk crosses his face as my nerves only become more hyped. “About that little King of your’s.”

“And what about him?” I snap, pushing past Trent, wanting to leave with no more words spoken.

Just as I reach the exit of the throne room, his next words cause me to halt with away. “It’s about that little warrior mate of his.”

Turning around, I watch as Trent looks up at the ceiling of the throne room. What does he know about her? How did he even find out about her? About the woman who marked Zion and left him, about the only woman Zion was truly meant to be with. But was he? I don’t even know anymore. “Who?”

“Don’t act innocent to something you know about, don’t be the cliché and no backbone girl.”

“What do you know?” I ask, Trent looking back to me as I remember why we were never good friends, or even friends: he didn’t care for emotions. “Because I trust Zion and know what I want to know.”

“Then please elaborate all you want on this little mate of his,” Trent comments, watching as my jaw tightens and my fuse shortens.

Walking towards the Alpha, I can feel my wolf pulling at me to let her be free, to be let loose. “His father did not like her, set her up with a fellow warrior, she married him, and now lives happily with him.”

A faint chuckle fills the empty hall, one that causes me to raise an eyebrow. There’s something Trent knows that I do not. “Her name was Lillian.”

“So?” I ask, crossing my arms.

“She did not get her happily ever after, Sybil. She did not get the life Zion told you.” What does he mean? “She’s gone, passed away.”

My skin pales. Am I trusting Trent over a man I’m about to marry? “I don’t believe you.”

“She was quite the beauty, a blond and beautiful blue eyes.”

“I do not believe you,” I yell, feeling my eyes become black.

“Someone is in doubt.”

I growl, causing the walls to barely shake, causing Trent’s smirk to disappear. He knows he has hit a nerve. “You are asking me to not trust someone who I have gave my future to, who I have decided to spend the rest of my life with. You want me to believe someone who has never treated me well at all.”

Trent rolls his eyes, shaking his head as my arm is grabbed harshly. “Don’t be the brainless girl, Sybil, I know there is a brain in there. Check the records of warriors here, check for her.”

Slap.

His head jerks to the side and In left go of. How could Trent even ask me to think of our King as a liar to me, to the woman he wants to marry. I don’t doubt Zion. I doubt.

Yet as I feel as if I’m in denial.

Leaving the room in a fury, my wolf is about to break free, to rip itself out of my human form and tear apart the halls.

If anything, thousands of questions fly through my head as I make my way back to the hidden hallway to my own private room. But then again, it’s not private, Zion can just open up the door whenever he feels like it.

Just as I slam the door shut, I pull my hair down, letting the locks fall into a bird’s nest as I strip my clothes off, heading to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I hop in, Zion’s eyes flashing through my mind.

I trust him. I do. I’ve put my life in his hands with Thursday. I’ve said yes to marriage and being his Queen. I’ve allowed myself to see him as my future.

As the warm water begins to burn my skin, I slide down to the bottom, sitting down in the shower, waiting for the water to turn cold as my eyes begun to water. Wiping the tears away, I muffle a sob with my hands.

Am I questioning Zion? Am I questioning him on the topic of his mate? Am I thinking he lied? Would he? Would Zion li about his mate?

However long I stay in the shower, I have no clue, all I know is that the water is now completely icy cold.

“Sybil?”

My eyes widen, pulling my knees in towards my chest. He’s calling me. Like I said, he can just enter this room whenever he feels like it.

“Hold on!” I reply, struggling not to let my voice crack from my sobs.

Getting out, I grab a fluffy robe as I shove a tampon up, looking at myself in the mirror. I look like a mess.

I jump as arms wrap around my body, pulling me into a chest as I see Zion in the mirror. “Are you okay?” He asks, resting his chin upon my head as my body begins to shake.

“Just tired, I may be coming down with something,” I say. A lie. I’ve just lied to the King, to my fiancé. He should no longer trust me. “What was the outcome of the meeting?”

He shrugs, letting his arms fall to his sides as I turn around to face the King. “We made an agreement that I have an IOU to give when they call upon it.”

Something is wrong with that. Something has to be wrong.

I check his hand, seeing the fresh cut beginning to heal. He made the unbreakable bond that will literally kill him if he does not follow through with his contact.

I meet his gaze, looking into the golden eyes. Those golden eyes just like Keva’s magical dust that always amazes me. Something is off in his gaze as I look at him. Something feels different this time.

Lips are upon mine. This time they don’t feel the same. This time I don’t feeling the sudden thirst to carry it further. I can’t be believing what Trent said, I just can’t!

“Zion,” I speak up, pushing the King away as he raises an eye brows, wondering why I pushed him away. Why I rejected him.

I just rejected the King.

“Zion, what was the name of your mate?” I ask, knowing he will question me in his head. “I just wanted to know, out of curiosity, it’s been killing me since you told me her story.”

The air grows tense as I watch the King take a step back. “Her name was Quin.”

I nod.

Someone is lying, someone has just told me a lie they hoped I would buy. Either Zion is hiding something from me or Trent was pulling my leg. Goddess I hope it is not the first one. But I doubt it, I doubt Zion’s words.

Why!

I’m going to marry this man and now I am wanting to check into his story. Hell, I barely even know him still!

All I know is that I need answers, and fast.